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The 2023-24 NHL season is approaching the halfway mark. With teams approaching their 41st games, fans have a good idea if their team will be making the postseason or not.
Although there's still half a season to go, teams need to be within a couple of points now to make the playoffs. Let's take a look at three NHL teams who are not in playoff contention:
Three NHL teams who will likely not make the playoffs
#1 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs last season and were aggressive in the off-season.
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The Penguins hired Kyle Dubas to be their GM and added the likes of Erik Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Noel Acciari. However, they have struggled out of the gates, going 18-14-4 and just two points out of a playoff spot.
They are behind the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning who are also outside a playoff spot. Given how poorly the Penguins have been playing, Sidney Crosby and Co. will likely miss the playoffs for the second straight season.
#2 Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators entered this season with low expectations, as the thought was that it would be a rebuilding year. However, Nashville has surprised many, going 21-16-1, which is good for 43 points and the top Wild Card spot in the Western Confernece.
Although they got off to a good start, the Predators' hope for a playoff spot will be the Wild Card. Winnipeg, Colorado, and Dallas will likely hold down the spots, which means Nashville will need to hold off the likes of the Edmonton Oilers, Seattle Kraken, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames, which the Predators are unlikely to do.
#3 Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning run appears to be over. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 and also made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022. The Lightning were knocked out of the NHL playoffs in the first round in 2023, and this season has not started well.
The Lightning are 18-16-5 but lose starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for the first two months of the season. However, since he has come back, Tampa Bay has still struggled and is outside a playoff spot.
The Lightning have also played two to four games more than the teams around them, which also hinders their chances of making the playoffs.
